Improvement in wire-fence barbs



Urvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN L. BROWN AND LAURENCE Gr. TUBES, OF DUNLAP, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIRE-FENCE BARBS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,518, dated November 30, 1875; application filed October 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, WARREN L. BROWN and LAURENCE G. TUBBS, of Dunlap, in the county of Harrison and State of Iowa, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Wire-Fence Barbs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a front view of a fence having our barbs, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are views of the barbs.

This invention has relation to improvements in wire fences; and it consists in the construction and arrangement, in connection with a .wire cable, of a sectional four-pointed barb,

whereby very useful results may be obtained, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates the iron pickets'of my improved fence, which are intended to be planted vertically in the ground. These posts are provided, near their lower ends, with broad transverse metallic strips B, which are intended to be buried in the ground below its surface, and are rigidly secured to the posts, as shown at a, by means of a bolt, b,'which passes through the lower end of a curved strengthening-brace, E, and the said strip-brace E extends upward a certain distance, and is rigidly secured to the posts at b, by which means the post and strip are greatly strengthened, and a loop, 0, is formed, by means of which the post or picket A is readily drawn from the ground or placed therein, and for a purpose hereinafter explained. O designates Wire cables, running horizontally from post to post, and secured thereto by means of staples c, passing through perforations made in the posts, and clinched on their inner sides forthe purpose of preventing them from being detached casually. In practice any number of cables may be used thereon as the height of the posts may require. Between the wires composing these cables are arranged, at suitable distances apart, one or more star-shaped metallic barbs, D, which are preferably of iron, and have their ends pointed,

so that, when put in position upon the horizontal cables composing the side rails of the fence they will effectually prevent animals, either upon the inside or outside of the inclosure, from leaning or rubbing against and breaking down the same. Barbs D are composed of two metallic plates, d, of the general shape of a long isosceles triangle, the apexes of which are provided with a slot, 8, extending halfway to the base, which 'slot isequal to the thickness of the metal of the barb, so that when the apexes of the said plates d are thrust the one into the other the barbs will present the appearance shown. The barb thus formed is twisted into the cable at the time it is made; or it may beinserted between the wires composing the same by separating the said wires by means of an instrument resembling a marline-spike, then inserting each plate at separately between the wires in a posi-. tion at right angles to each other, and then thrusting the said plates together so that the unslotted portion of each plate may be received into the slot 8 of the other. The cable may then be stretched, thus confining the said plates in position, when they may be united by soldering, or not, as I may elect.

Loops 0 may be utilized for supporting a bottom board, S, shown in dotted lines, which will prevent small animals from getting into the inclosure.

In practice, the advantage gained by the transverse strips below the ground is to prevent the fence from being thrown out of the perpendicular by the force of the' wind and other causes.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a wire fence, the combination, with a twisted-wire cable, O, of the four-pointed barbs D, formed of two flat plates, d, of the forms of an isosceles triangle, and having the slot 8, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN L. BROWN. LAURENCE Gr. TUBBS.

F. BANGS, MIOHEAL BARRETT. 

